Located in the city of Ebla, now located near the village of Mardikh (roughly 55 km outside Aleppo), you are looking at the Palace Archive of Ebla (aka the Ebla State Archives) the oldest organized library we have yet to find anywhere.

The city was founded sometime around 3500 BCE, while the library is believed to be from around 2500 BCE to 2250 BCE. 

The archive held around 20,000 cuneiform tablets from around 2350 BCE, which have provided invaluable information about the government proceedings and everyday life of the people who lived in the area at the time.

Image credit: Paolo Matthiae

 

By Alice Flecha (Volunteer Blogger)